Postage stamp attaching machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

o. J. MOE. POSTAGE STAMP ATTACHING MAQHINE. No. 517,472-,

vPatented Apr. 3, 189,4.

iA Tra/aways.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OSCAR J. MOE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

POSTAG E-SITAIVI P-ATTACH ING lVlACHIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 517,472, dated April 3, 1894.

Application nea Aprn 5, 1893. serai No. 469,182. (Nomade.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern.-

'Be it known that I, OSCAR J. MOE, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Postage-Stamp- Attaching Machine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved machine for conveniently securing and rapidly applying postage stamps to letters, packages, &c.

The invention consists of certain parts and details, and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a plan view of the improvement with the top of the casing F and the upper roller H removed; the upper end of the moistening belt being cut away to show the roller D. Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation of the machine on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View with all ofl the operating mechanism removed except the plunger and its spring and part of its operating lever and arm Q; the casing F being in section. Fig. 4 is a plan view of an auxiliary wedge shape bottom piece for adjusting the machine to different sized letters; and Fig. 5 is an end view of three of said bottom pieces, of different thicknesses and superposed one upon another. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section on line 6 6 Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a similar view on line 7 7 Fig,l. Fig. 8 is a detail section to show mechanism for adjusting the lower belt shaft D2 taken on line 8 8 Fig. 9, and Fig. 9 is a sectional front elevation of the same on line 9 9 Fig. 8.

The improved machine is mounted on a base A, which supports a water receptacle B, containing water for moistening the gum on the stamps. Into the water in the receptacle B passes the lower end of an endless belt C, preferably made of heavy felt lined on the outside with a-wire netting O for convenient-ly carrying the water and for preventing the gum from sticking to the felt. The end- 5o less belt C is arranged in an inclined position, as is plainly illustrated in Fig. 2,the upper end passing over a pulley D and the lower E passing through a cross bar e above the yoke. The shaft D3 of the upper pulley D is journaled in yieldingly mounted bearings D4 adapted to slide laterally in guideways F formed on a casing F, secured to the base A iu front of the water receptacle B, so as to form with the latter a slot F2 for the passage of the letter to which the stamp is to be aftixed, see Figs. 2 and 3.

As illustrated in Fig. l, each bearing D4 for the shaft D3 is pressed on at one side by a spring G and engaged at the other side by a set screw G screwing in the guideway F, so as to adjust the shaft D3 and the pulley D laterally to increase or diminish the tension of the endless belt O.

D5 is a roller beneath and geared to the shaft of the pulley D to hold the lower run of the belt to said pulley as shown in Fig. 2.

Directly above the belt, on the pulley D, is arranged a roller H, the shaft of which is journaled in vertically adjustable bearings H resting on springs H2 and engaged on their upper sides by set screws H3. Thus the roller H may be made to bear with greater or less force on the stamp passing between it and the belt and cause more or less moisture to exude. The belt C being of felt may be squeezed between roller H and pulley D to cause the moisture to pass through the interstices of the wire gauze C to the stamps while the said facing of wire gauze will prevent the gummed stamps from adhering to the belt. Between the roller H and the belt O passes a strip I of postage stamps, the strip being unwound from a reel J supported in a suitable bracket attached to the top of the water receptacle B, as is plainly illustrated in the drawings. The reel .I is provided on its shaft with a handle J for conveniently reeling up the strip of stamps previous to setting the apparatus in motion for aftixing the individual stamps on the letters.

In front of the pulley D is arranged a second roller K, between which and the belt passing over the said pulley passes the strip of stamps I in a downward direction, into and ICO through a hopperL arranged transversely in the casing F. The lower end of the strip of stamps projects beyond the hopper L into a chamber N formed Within the casing F and containing a plunger O adapted to slide longitudinally in the said chamber to detach the stamp projecting into the chamber from the strip I, to carry it forward upon the letter inserted in the slot F2 previously mentioned, to press the detached stamp in contact with the envelope of the letter, so as to fasten the stamp in place thereon. This plunger O is provided with a stem O guided in a partition N arranged in the chamber N, the outer end of the stem being provided with a head O2 pivotally-connected by a link P with a hand lever Pfulcrumed at P2 in the upper part of the casing F. This lever P is under the control of the operator and when pressed causes an inward sliding of the plunger' 0, so as to move in contact with the stamp extendinginto the chamber N, to detach it at the perforated edge from the stamp I at the lower end of the hopper L. At the same time the further forward movement of the plunger carries the detached stamp upon the letter inserted in the slot F2, so as to press the stamp into position, it being understood that the gummed part of the stamp was previously moistened by its contact with the endless moistening belt C. The return movement of the plunger O is caused by a spring O8 coiled on the stem O and resting with one end on the partition N, and with its other end on the head O2; the latter is also connected with the vertical arm Q having a horizontally extending pawl Q2 pivoted to it at Q and adapted to engage rods R of a ratchet wheel R arranged within the casing F in front of the roller K, as is plainly shown in Figs. l and 2.

Q3 is a finger piece or handle havingastem extending down through a slot in the top of case F and secured to the pawl Q2 for raising it out of engagement with the ratchet Wheel R. When the pawl is thus raised the plunger may be operated without operating the feed which is very advantageous in case a stamp should require more than one blow of the plunger to aiix it. The shaft R2 of this wheel R is journaled in the sides of the casing F, and on one outer end of the said shaft is secured a handle Ra for conveniently revolving the said shaft by hand whenever desired. rlhe other end of the said shaft R2 carries a gear wheel R4 in mesh with a gear wheel K' secured on the shaft K2 of the roller K, and this gear wheel K is in mesh with agear wheel D5 on the outer end of the shaft D3 carrying the pulley D. The wheel R is rotated by the pawl Q2 at the time the plunger O is on its return stroke, it being understood that sufcient movement is given to the said wheel during the entire return stroke of the said plunger to cause the gear wheels R4, K and D4 to rotate a distance to cause the pulley D and roller K to feed the strip of stamps forward the length of a stamp. It is under- Stood that the pulley D and the roller K form the feed for the strip of stamps I, the pulley D being adjusted longitudinally toward and from the said roller K by the set screw G and spring G, as above described, so as to cause the proper forward feed whenever the wheel R is rotated. Now, on the downward stroke of the lever P and on the forward movementw of the plunger 0, the pawl Q2 glides over the next tooth or rod R of the wheel R without rotating the same, but on the return stroke of the plunger the wheel R is rotated to again feed a postage stamp down into the chamber N in front of the plunger O.

In order to operate the machine to affix a stamp, the operator introduces the envelope into the slot F2 from one side of the machine, the said slot being arranged so as to bring one corner of the envelope opposite the 1nner end of the chamber N containing the stamp. Now, when the operator presses the lever P the forwardly-moving plunger detaches the stamp from the strip I, carries 1t to the envelope, and presses it thereon, after which the operator releases the pressure on the lever l), so that the spring O3 returns the plunger to actuate the feed mechanlsm, to again feed the next stamp into the chamber N. The operator then removes the envelope from the slot F2, inserts another, and the above described operation is then repeated.

It will be understood that by the two rollers II and K the gummed part of the strip of the stamps I is held in contact with the wire netting C a suiiicient length of time to thoroughly moisten the gum, and one side of the hopper L acts as a guide to lead the end of the strip downward through the hopper into the chamber N. The latter is at a height corresponding to the height of the stamp, and, as previously mentioned, the feeding mechanism is arranged so as to feed, at every return stroke of the plunger, a single stamp into the chamber N.

In the casing F may be arranged a suitable drawer for keeping the tools, postage stamps or other articles.

In order to adapt the machine for different sized envelopes, I provide a number of false bottoms S adapted to be inserted in the bottom of the slot F2, to rest on the base A, the said false bottoms being of different thicknesses to reduce the height of the slot F2 according to the width of the envelope. One of such false bottoms is illustrated in Fig. 4, and three of them of diderent thicknesses are shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The herein described moistening belt formed of an endless piece of absorptive fabric provided with an external facing of wire gauze to prevent the adhesive material from adhering to it, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the water tank and the endless moistening belt formed of an IOC IIO

absorptive fabric provided with an outer wire gauze facing, of a feed roller adjustable to ward and from the upper end of the belt and between which and said upper end the stamps are passed, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the water tank and the endless moistening belt extending through the top of the tank, of a longitudinally reciprocating plunger below the upper end of the tank, feeding mechanism for causing the stamps to pass from the upper end of the belt downwardly past the plunger and operating connections between the plunger, the belt and the feeding mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the Water tank and the casing spaced therefrom and forming an envelope slot or recess, of an endless moistening belt extending through the top of the tank to the upper en'd of said slot or recess, feeding mechanism in the casing operating in connection with the upper end of the belt, and a stamp afxing plunger in the casing below the upper end of the belt and operatively connected with the feeding mechanism, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the water tank and the casing spaced 'therefrom and forming an envelope slot or recess, of the endless moistening belt extending through the top of said tank to the upper end of the slot or recess,a roller above and geared to the upper belt shaft and adjustable toward and from the same, a second roller in front of and geared to the upper belt shaft, aratchet wheel geared to said second roller and a longitudinally reciprocating stamp aflixing plunger provided with a pawl engaging the ratchet wheel, substantially as set forth.

' 6. A stamp attaching mechanism comprising a water tank, a casing spaced therefrom and forming an envelope slot or recess an endless moisteningbelt extending through the top of the tank to the upper end of said slot or recess, feed rollers in the casing geared to the upper belt shaft, an open hopper or throat at the upper end of said slot or recess, a plunger reciprocating longitudinally across the lower end of the said hopper or throat to sever and affix the stamp, and provided with apawl, a ratchet wheel operated by the pawl and geared to one of the feed rollers, and a lever for operating the plunger, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the stamp affixing machine having an envelope receiving slot or recess and the moistening and affixing devices at the upper end thereof, of bottom pieces to enter the bottom of the slot and adjust its height to the widths of different envelopes, substantially as set forth.

oscAR J. MOE.

Witnesses:

THEO. G. HosTER, C. SEDGWICK. 

